Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena has approved the proposal for revival of 1,027 posts of vice principals in the Directorate of Education of the GNCTD for the vacancy year 2014-15 to 2019.

These posts would have been abolished as they were not filled for more than the prescribed time limit, in which vacant posts are supposed to be filled, “with the justification that they are not required’’, the LG office said on Monday.

This situation, in turn, had arisen out of the fact that the vacancies off late were being filled on an ad hoc and contractual basis by the education department.

The revival of the posts was necessary since there was an acute shortage of vice principals, which are essential for the smooth functioning of the schools.

According to the Recruitment Rules (RRs), 100 per cent posts of vice principals were supposed to be filled in through promotion and these RRs were amended vide notification dated 15th October, 2018, wherein the cadre of Vice Principals changed from Group ‘B’ gazetted to Group ‘A’ gazetted and the mode of selection also changed from 100 per cent through promotion to 50 per cent by promotion and 50 per cent through Direct Recruitment by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), it said.

Saxena was informed that out of these 1,027 posts, 873 posts up to vacancy year September, 2018 (prior to amendment of RRs) were filled on adhoc basis vide promotion order dated 15th January,2018 and 24 th December,2019. Remaining 154 posts pertaining to vacancy year w.e.f 15th October, 2018 to 31st December, 2019 have not been filled, the LG Office said.

There is an acute shortage of Vice Principals in Delhi government schools and the work is being managed through PGTs who are working as Vice Principals (promoted on adhoc basis), which is a temporary arrangement having limitations and cannot be continued for a long period of time, it said.

As per new RRs, eligible candidates are available for promotion and their promotion cannot be denied, and in the near future, the present situation may worsen, given the fact that Vice Principals may also retire leading to more vacancies, it added.

The LG Office further said the Union Ministry of Finance dated 12th April, 2017 provides that posts except newly created posts, kept in abeyance or remaining vacant for a period of more than two years would be considered as deemed abolished.

Further, existing posts vacant for 5 years may be abolished immediately.

However, it is evident that the purpose for which the posts of Vice Principal were created still exist and the posts are essential for the smooth functioning of the Department and the revival of these posts is urgently required for filling up of these posts through UPSC, it said.